Most of Georgetown's 2026 holiday season takes place between 729 and 1003 Front Street, and most of it falls on two Saturdays. The city's December calendar lists nine separate events on Saturday, Dec. 12. Tuesday, Dec. 15, and Wednesday, Dec. 16, have none. If you live in the Historic District, most of your holiday plans come down to blocking off Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 and walking.
A deeper harbor sets the scene
The waterfront these events line up along changed this summer. On Aug. 19, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it had finished maintenance dredging of Georgetown Harbor. Crews removed 561,320 cubic yards of material and returned the Steel Mill and Bypass channels to 12 feet, plus 2 feet of overdepth.
The first visible result came at the 37th Wooden Boat Show on Oct. 17 and 18. The tall ship Spirit of South Carolina had visited Georgetown before, but always at Georgetown Landing Marina. This time it docked downtown along the Harborwalk for the first time. Hope McFadden, director of the South Carolina Maritime Museum and the Harbor Historic Association, told Hammock Coast that "this visit is possible thanks to the dredging completed this summer, which allows the tall ship to reach our waterfront." The Post and Courier's recap of the show highlighted the tall ship, a 1979 lobster boat named Popeye, and first-time exhibitor Les Stewart's homemade runabout, the Bird Lady.
The holiday season uses that same stretch of water and parkland. Over five weeks, these addresses within a short walk of each other host most of what's on the calendar:
- Maritime Park, 729 Front St.: a one-day community ice-skating rink
- Francis Marion Park, 750 Front St.: the Christmas tree lighting
- Front Street itself: the Georgetown Christmas Parade
- Baxter's Brewhouse Inn, 824 Prince St.: the 12 Days of Christmas Kringle Krawl, with Front Street listed as its setting
- Kaminski House, 1003 Front St.: Light Up the Lawn and four evenings of candle tours
Hop Garden on Front, at 932 Front St., opened in January and serves cocktails, tapas and small plates.
November warms up slowly
The season begins away from the water. The Kiwanis Clubs of Georgetown and Pawleys Island host the 6th annual Georgetown Field of Honor at 1515 Bourne St., on the front lawn of the former International Paper site at the foot of the Georgetown bridge. It opens with a ceremony this Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. and runs through a closing ceremony on Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. The display has 300 American flags honoring veterans, military personnel and first responders, and it is free to visit.
On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Holiday Grower's Market sets up at 120 N. Fraser St. from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The calendar lists it again every Saturday in December and on Jan. 2, so it shows up again on both of the busy Saturdays below.
The next evening, Sunday, Nov. 22, downtown's season officially begins. Light Up the Lawn runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kaminski House. It is free, with holiday lights and hot chocolate on the lawn.
Dec. 3 through 5: the first cluster
The Thursday and Friday before the parade fill up first. The Holiday Festivus Concert is free at Winyah Auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. That same night, Swamp Fox Players open It's A Wonderful Life at the Strand Theater. The show runs Dec. 3 through 6 and Dec. 10 through 13. Swamp Fox Players put tickets on sale Nov. 3, so they are already available. On Friday, Dec. 4, the city's Christmas tree is lit at Francis Marion Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The tree lighting is free and includes family activities.
Saturday, Dec. 5, can be planned as one walk from morning to night:
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Holiday Grower's Market, 120 N. Fraser St.
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Georgetown Christmas Parade on Front Street, with decorated floats, marching bands, community groups, Christmas music and Santa Claus
- 4 to 9 p.m.: 12 Days of Christmas Kringle Krawl, starting from Baxter's Brewhouse Inn at 824 Prince St.
- 7:30 p.m.: It's A Wonderful Life at the Strand
The market and the parade overlap for two hours, so you can buy produce and still catch the floats. Groups that want to march can find the registration form on the Georgetown Business Association site.
The Monday and Tuesday after the parade are concert nights. Winyah Bay Musical Arts presents Christmas in Concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8, featuring the WBMA Chorale, Charleston Symphony Orchestra musicians and the Georgetown County BEACH Singers. Tickets are sold online or by phone at 843-450-3519, and none will be sold at the door.
Saturday, Dec. 12: nine listings in one day
Saturday, Dec. 12, has more events than any other date on the season's calendar. Here is the city's listing for that day, by start time:
| Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Holiday Grower's Market | 120 N. Fraser St. |
| 10 a.m. | Field of Honor closing ceremony | 1515 Bourne St. |
| 10 a.m. to noon | Yuletide Home Tour, churches and museums | Historic District |
| Noon to 8 p.m. | Community Ice-Skating Rink | Maritime Park, 729 Front St. |
| 1 to 5 p.m. | Yuletide Home Tour, private homes | Historic District |
| 3 to 5 p.m. | 35th Annual Singing Christmas Tree | First Baptist Church of Georgetown |
| 5:30 p.m. | Kaminski House Candle Tour | 1003 Front St. |
| 7 to 9 p.m. | Highland Holidays | Ticketed |
| 7:30 p.m. | It's A Wonderful Life | The Strand |
The Yuletide Home Tour drives the day. The Friends of the Georgetown Library are holding their 24th annual tour. Several residences, two churches and four Georgetown museums in and around the Historic District will be open. The sites open in a set order. Churches are open from 10 a.m. to noon, museums open at 10 a.m., and homes are open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $35 per person, or $30 for members of Friends groups of any Georgetown County library. You can reserve online through myfogl.org or buy in person at the Georgetown Library, 405 Cleland St., or the Waccamaw Library, 41 St. Paul Place. On tour day, bring your receipt or ticket to the Georgetown Library any time after 9:30 a.m. to pick up a wristband and tour map. Proceeds support the Georgetown Library. The Friends' events page says the money goes to children's and youth reading programs.
Because the tour opens in that order, the day splits into a morning for churches and museums and an afternoon for homes. The ice rink at Maritime Park is open from noon to 8 p.m., so a midday skate fits between the two halves of the tour. The 5:30 p.m. candle tour at the Kaminski House is a short walk up Front Street from the rink. Highland Holidays, a Scottish Christmas music and dance show from the Highland Echoes team, and the Strand's evening performance cover the rest of the night.
Tickets to get before December
A few of the season's events need you to act early, and two of them need a phone call or online order now.
The 35th Annual Singing Christmas Tree at First Baptist Church of Georgetown is free, but you still need a ticket. Call the church at 843-546-5187. Tickets are released the first week of November, which is this week. Performance dates differ between the city's Christmas guide and its monthly calendar, so check the First Baptist listing for dates and times when you call.
The Kaminski House sells tickets for the candle tour at KaminskiHouse.org. The tour runs four evenings starting at 5:30 p.m.: Saturday, Dec. 12; Thursday, Dec. 17; Saturday, Dec. 19; and Tuesday, Dec. 22. Visitors walk through rooms lit by candles and decorated for the holidays. The city's December calendar lists an 8:30 p.m. end time, but its Christmas guide lists 8 p.m., so check the museum's site before you plan dinner afterward.
The rest of the list:
- Christmas in Concert, Dec. 7 and 8: buy online or by phone; nothing at the door.
- It's A Wonderful Life: on sale through Swamp Fox Players since Nov. 3.
- Yuletide Home Tour: buy online or at either library branch, then bring your receipt or ticket to the Georgetown Library on the morning of Dec. 12.
After the 12th, the calendar thins out
After the second Saturday, the calendar gets quiet quickly. The Singing Christmas Tree closes Dec. 14, and the next two days have no listings at all. After that, the calendar shows the Thursday candle tour on Dec. 17, the Saturday market on Dec. 19 with a Polar Express afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. and another candle tour that evening, and the last candle tour on Tuesday, Dec. 22. The market is the only listing between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, on Dec. 26 and again on Jan. 2.
Our advisors at Peace Sotheby's International Realty know these Front Street blocks and the historic homes along them. If this year's Yuletide Home Tour has you wondering about Historic District homes, we would be glad to talk about them with you. Contact Us.
